Event #1: TLPT Opening (US$600,000 GTD)
Day 2 Completed
2025 The Lord Poker Tournament Jeju
Event #1: TLPT Opening (US$600,000 GTD)
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
2025 The Lord Poker Tournament Jeju
Prize Pool
$600,000
Entries
446
Level
28
Blinds
75,000 / 150,000
Ante
150,000
Entries
9
Players Left
1
Level 28
: Blinds 75,000/150,000, 150,000 ante
To run up a bankroll from a small investment is the dream of every poker player, and few can claim to have turned $0 into six-figures in just two days — but that's exactly what Xiaqin Ji did after overcoming a 446-player field in the TLPT Opening Event. For the victory, Ji claimed US$100,000, which represented the lion's share of the US$600,000 freeroll.
The inaugural event played out at breakneck speed inside the luxurious Landing Casino at Shinhwa World Hotel Jeju, and the turbo structure seemed to suit Ji perfectly. He was aggressive when it mattered most, unafraid to put chips in the middle — and even triple-barreling with just five-high.
Ji came into the final table as chip leader, and although he faced a few setbacks along the way, he consistently found ways to regain control. Ji's persistence paid off as he claimed the trophy and etched his name in the history books as the first-ever TLPT champion.
TLPT Opening Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Payout ($USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Xiaqing Ji | China | $100,000 |
| 2 | Jinsui Fan | China | $78,000 |
| 3 | Jiawei Yuan | China | $54,000 |
| 4 | Yang Chen | China | $37,000 |
| 5 | Xinyuan Yang | China | $27,000 |
| 6 | Jiaman Sun | China | $19,000 |
| 7 | Jia Wang | China | $14,000 |
| 8 | Yawen Ren | China | $11,100 |
| 9 | Xiaoyan Xu | China | $8,000 |
Winner's Reaction
Following the win, Ji explained how important the win was to him following a slump in results.
"I feel more confident about No-Limit tournaments after this win," Jin said through the use of a translator. "I played the Red Dragon series for about ten days, but the results weren't ideal. However, winning this title has greatly boosted my confidence."
With renewed determination and hunger, Ji said he will continue to play tournaments when has time.
"I hope to achieve even better results in upcoming tournaments. I still really enjoy tournament poker and will participate when I can."
Final Table Action
With an average stack of under 20 big blinds, it came as no surprise that players found themselves all in right out the gate. Within the first 10 minutes of play, Xiaoyan Xu and Yawen Ren both committed their stacks preflop and ended up second best after being called to fall in ninth and eight place respectively.
A clash between the big stacks of Ji and Jiawei Yuan occurred shortly thereafter, wherein Ji lost the chip lead after getting feisty with second pair against Yuan, who held a pair of queens.
Ji was able to recover some of the self-inflicted damage, however, by picking up his own pair of queens and holding against Jia Wang, who shoved into Ji with king-ten suited to be sent out in seventh.
Yuan began adapting a slowplay strategy in a few hands, including after flopping trips with king-queen against Ji's pair of sevens and getting paid off on the river. Following the hand, Yuan had nearly twice as many chips as Ji and appeared to be cruising toward the title.
Meanwhile, a small lull in the action from the short stacks saw the blinds go up and force both Jiaman Sun and Xinyuan Yang to make a move, which resulted in both them being eliminated in sixth and fifth respectively after shoving preflop, getting called, and ending up second-best.
Ji climbed nearly back to even with Yuan after eliminating Yang Chen in fourth place with pocket aces, which set up arguably the tournament-defining hand. Ji raised on the button with pocket sevens and Yuan shoved from the big blind holding ace-ten suited. Ji didn't back down and called all in for his tournament life only to be rewarded with a massive double up on a clean runout.
Yuan was left short following the clash and the rest of his chips were soon scooped up by Jinsui Fan after Yuan shoved with ace-five into Fan's ace-ten.
Ji entered the heads-up battle between him and Fan with a solid lead and wasted no time putting his chips to work. In one of the first hands of their duel, Ji made an epic triple-barrel bluff holding five-high to take an over 3-to-1 chip lead.
A few hands later, Ji shoved with a king on the button and Fan took his chances and called all in with eight-seven suited. The board ran out clean and just like that — Ji was crowned as the first-ever TLPT champion.
That concludes PokerNews coverage of the TLPT Opening event. Be sure to check out our live-reporting hub for continuing coverage of select upcoming events from the 2025 TLPT series.
Level 28
: Blinds 75,000/150,000, 150,000 ante
After taking down a couple of small pots, Xiaqing Ji shoved on the button and Jinsui Fan called all in for his last 850,000.
Jinsui Fan: 8♣7♣
Xiaqing Ji: K♠4♠
Fan decided to take a stand with his suited connector and was drawing live to double up, but the Q♠A♦A♠J♥9♥ runout kept Ji best — eliminating Fan in second place and ending the tournament.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
6,700,000 | |
|
Busted |
Level: 28
Blinds: 75,000/150,000
Ante: 150,000
Level 27
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Xiaqing Ji opened to 250,000 on the button holding 5♦3♣ and Jinsui Fan defended his blind with an unknown hand due to a card-reader error.
Fan check-called a 125,000 bet from Ji on the 7♠K♦J♣ flop and a 650,000 bet from Ji on the 6♦ turn.
Fan checked a final time after the 8♥ completed the board and Ji announced he was all in, which was enough to put Fan all in for hist last 1,400,000.
It was a courageous bluff from Ji holding just five-high and Fan didn't take long to lay down what was sure to be the winning hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
5,300,000
1,100,000
|
1,100,000 |
|
|
1,400,000
1,100,000
|
1,100,000 |
Level 27
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Xiaqing Ji and Jinsui Fan are taking a short break before beginning their heads-up battle for the trophy and US$100,000 first-place prize.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,200,000
200,000
|
200,000 |
|
|
2,500,000 |
Level 27
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Jinsui Fan opened to 250,000 on the button and Jiawei Yuan shoved for his last 700,000 in the small blind. It was folded back to Fan, who called to put Yuan at risk.
Jiawei Yuan: A♠5♦
Jinsui Fan: A♦10♣
Yuan found himself in trouble against Fan's dominating ace, but the A♣8♣5♥ left Yuan with two pair for the domination reversal.
The 4♦ left Yuan one card away from a double, but in a cruel twist of fate, the 10♠ filled the river to put Fan back in front with a higher two — eliminating Yuan in third place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,500,000
900,000
|
900,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 27
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Xiaqing Ji opened to 250,000 on the button and it was folded to Jiawei Yuan, who shoved for 2,800,000 from the big blind. Ji called all in for 2,100,000 and it was a showdown between the two big stacks at the table.
Xiaqing Ji: 7♥7♣
Jiawei Yuan: A♦10♦
It was a make-or-break race for the majority of the chips in play, and the 8♠2♥5♦Q♥Q♣ runout favored Ji, who scored the massive double up with his sevens to take a massive chip lead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,400,000
1,900,000
|
1,900,000 |
|
|
1,600,000
200,000
|
200,000 |
|
|
700,000
2,200,000
|
2,200,000 |
Level 27
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Jinsui Fan opened to 200,000 in the small blind holding 5♠5♣ and Jiawei Yuan defended his big blind with A♥10♥.
Yuan called a 200,000 bet from Fan on the 8♠9♥7♠ flop and then both players checked on the J♣ turn.
The 6♣ completed the board and Fan check-called a 400,000 bet from Yuan, who showed his slowplayed straight and claimed the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,900,000
900,000
|
900,000 |
|
|
1,400,000
800,000
|
800,000 |
Level 27
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Xiaqing Ji opened to 200,000 on the button and just behind him, Yang Chen shoved for 675,000 total from the small blind. It was folded back to Ji, who wasted no time calling to put Chen at risk.
Yang Chen: A♦9♥
Xiaqing Ji: A♥A♠
It was a bit of setup for Chen, who found himself absolutely crushed with his ace against Ji's pocket rockets.
The 6♦J♥4♣6♥7♠ runout provided no miracle for Chen, who was eliminated in fourth place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,500,000
800,000
|
800,000 |
|
Busted |
